Urban Ocean Lab

Despite a series of executive orders aimed at sabotaging climate progress, coastal cities can take meaningful climate action—and are. In her new piece for Rolling Stone, our co-founder Ayana Elizabeth Johnson highlights how local governments are leading the way, and what states can do to support them:

This Tuesday, join Urban Ocean Lab at the National Working Waterfront Network Conference for a conversation on the future of working waterfronts! Experts from policy, aquaculture, and local government will share insights on passing legislation, securing funding, and engaging communities to protect these vital coastal spaces. They include: 🔹 Imani Black – Founder & CEO, Minorities in Aquaculture 🔹 Janelle Kellman, Esq. (She/Her) – Former Mayor of Sausalito; Founder, Center for Sea Rise Solutions 🔹 Hon. Rep. Morgan Rielly – Maine State Representative & Oyster Farmer Our Policy Director, Alexandra (Ali) C., will moderate the panel. The discussion will cover key provisions for working waterfront plans and policy solutions for climate adaptation, decarbonization, community engagement, waterfront mapping, and intergovernmental collaboration. More here: https://lnkd.in/eZgWM8KW

Hours before President Trump took office, we published a permanent archive of over 100 federal resources on climate change in case of alteration or deletion. A number of pages on the White House and State Department websites have been removed since then, and more information is at risk. If you are looking for a federal resource that has been deleted, please check our Resource Hub to see if we have it on file: https://lnkd.in/dBmaz6GR

Yesterday, we celebrated President Biden's announcement barring new offshore oil and gas development along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Northern Bering Sea. As our Policy Director Alexandra (Ali) C. said: "The President’s announcement is a strong signal of our intentions as a nation to phase out drilling and invest in justly sourced renewable energy sources that will support and protect coastal communities and ecosystems." Read our full statement: https://lnkd.in/en-3S4aW

🗓 As 2024 comes to a close, one thing is clear: Local climate action has never been more important. Amid worsening climate impacts—like this year’s record-breaking hurricane season—and a likely rollback in federal climate action, coastal communities need their local elected officials to deliver solutions that protect them. This year, UOL has accelerated our work to provide coastal cities with the resources they need to address the many climate risks they face. In 2024, we… 🛟 Released our Climate Readiness Framework for Coastal Cities, with 70+ recommendations to help local governments better prepare for the future. https://lnkd.in/gejDYnuF 📚 Launched our Resource Hub, which hosts hundreds of vetted materials to inform coastal city policymaking. https://lnkd.in/dBmaz6GR 🚶 Published a policy memo on climate-driven relocation that outlines key principles and policies for coastal cities to approach this issue in a proactive and just manner. https://lnkd.in/dpgbmD9u 💰 Identified more than $2.5 billion for climate action in coastal cities that is still available through programs funded by the IRA and IIJA. https://lnkd.in/ewFadqds ⚓️ Published a policy memo on working waterfronts that shows how cities can coordinate with state and federal government to preserve and revitalize these places. https://lnkd.in/eWdEFJQk 📝 Developed a federal policy agenda with recommendations to support more climate ready coastal cities. https://lnkd.in/ecKnqARi 🌊 Co-hosted Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice in Washington, DC,  a symposium on equity in ocean policy, from plastic pollution to marine protection areas. https://lnkd.in/eATM7kGG 🦪 Published regenerative ocean farming case studies that demonstrate how local policy can responsibly support the growth of the industry. https://lnkd.in/eF45BzP5 🔗 Coalesced a large collaborative project on climate-driven relocation—more on that upon launch in the new year… In 2025, we’re doubling down (literally) by increasing our full-time staff from 3 to 6, to better help cities meet the urgency of this moment. Thank you for being in this work with us, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Jean Flemma, and Marquise Stillwell Co-founders of Urban Ocean Lab

Our latest: How the U.S. can protect and support working waterfronts—essential hubs for jobs, culture, and coastal economies. Working waterfronts provide 100s of thousands of jobs to dockworkers, fishers, farmers, boatbuilders, and other workers around the country. The marine economy contributed more than $476 billion to the national GDP in 2022. But these places are increasingly threatened by intensifying storms, development, and a changing labor market. Our new memo shows how cities, in coordination with state and federal government, can advance policies and provide opportunities to preserve and revitalize working waterfronts: https://lnkd.in/eWdEFJQk

🗣️ Some good news: BILLIONS in funding is still available for climate readiness in coastal cities! 💸💸💸 We’ve identified over $2.5 billion currently available through programs funded by the #IRA and #IIJA. Additionally, $12.8 billion in funding has or will be awarded, and another $3.2 billion is expected to be made available through future funding announcements. With only weeks left in this presidential term, cities must act quickly to take advantage of these opportunities. This magnitude of climate funding is unlikely to pass again in the near future, and even pending funding could be rescinded once the next administration takes office. So, we dug through all the funding announcements and details so you don’t have to. Our updated guidebook can help coastal cities navigate open opportunities and make sure every available dollar is spent on climate action. 💰 Coastal cities, get that money! https://lnkd.in/ewFadqds

Thank you CNN Fareed Zakaria for having me on the show. With this crew of climate deniers coming back into the White House, state and local work to advance climate solutions is more important than ever. Much more to come from our team at Urban Ocean Lab on how coastal cities can lead the way. #climate #climatenews #climatepolicy

Now, more than ever, local action on climate solutions is critical. When it comes to coastal cities, our latest analysis finds that in the U.S., there are 379 coastal cities that are home to more than 66 million people. Climate impacts to coastal cities are also a justice issue: Almost 60% of coastal city residents are people of color, 51% are renters, and 15% are living in poverty—all higher than the national average. In the absence of strong federal support, and the presence of a rapidly changing climate, coastal cities will need to champion ambitious, proactive, and innovative policies that safeguard communities, cultures, ecosystems, and economies. Read our latest findings: https://lnkd.in/e3imSBHN And keep an eye out for our updated directory of IRA and IIJA funding opportunities coming soon. (Hint: there’s still billions available for climate preparedness in coastal cities!).

#ClimateWeekNYC is officially underway, and we're thrilled to see so many organizations engaging in discussions about securing a more resilient future for coastal communities. For more information on how the federal government can support these efforts, check out our latest publication "Protecting Coastal Communities from Climate Impacts: An Agenda for the Next President" ⤵️